Shido-sama was crying.

I gently nudged him awake. It was still hard to believe that Shido-sama, the most perfect man I had ever met, was my husband and was sleeping next to me. But even more shocking was the fact that right now he was weeping like a small child.

"Shido-sama," I whispered, "wake up. You're crying."

He did wake, then, and gathered me tightly in his arms. I could feel his tears soaking into my hair.

"What's wrong? Did you have a bad dream?"

"Worse than bad," he muttered. "I don't want to upset you with it."

I drew back enough so I could see his face. "Please, Shido-sama," I pleaded. "Tell me. I've wanted to be with you for so long, and now... you're leaving tomorrow, and I still want to know all about you. So please... tell me?"

He sighed, then rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling. "Do you remember a slave boy in my family when we were kids? He had white hair. His name was Ageha."

I frowned. A slave boy? I don't really remember slaves... well, there was that one he..

"You mean the one you were always stealing food for?"

"Yes, him." Shido-sama laughed bitterly. "Even when I tried helping him, he hated me. He was the closest person I had to a friend besides Shuri."

"Did something happen to him?"

"Yes." He paused, then turned and looked at me fully in the eye. "I beat him a few days ago."

Normally I would gasp or do something similar, but I remained silent, waiting for him to continue.

"He knew where Tatara was, but he wouldn't tell us. So we captured him. And then I had him whipped." Again he laughed bitterly. "Ageha always was so proud. Even after being beaten bloody, he still wouldn't talk."

"He knew where Tatara was! He's a rebel! Why is he upsetting you so much?" I cried, empassioned. In the morning my dear husband would be leaving to fight Tatara, and he could possibly... well, of course he'd survive. But any friend of Tatara's was just another enemy for Shido to face and be hurt by. I couldn't forgive any of them if anything ever happened -

"Yes, he is a friend of Tatara's," Shido-sama said, almost as if he was reading my thoughts. "And he will never lead Tatara wrong. He did for Tatara exactly what I would do for Shuri." He sighed and kissed my forehead. "It was killing me to hurt him," he admitted ruefully. "It was the first time in my life I ever raised a hand against Ageha. When he was with my family, I tried to be kind to him. I didn't want to be anything like my father, who beat him indiscriminately. But my actions a few days ago probably confirmed what he always suspected." He shook his head slightly, his warm breath teasing my bangs. "Even though I gave him his freedom, he'll never forgive me. Especially not now."

"That's not true!" I exclaimed, raising myself up on one elbow. "You're a wonderful, kind person. You cared about him, and he betrayed you. One day he'll see his mistake and realize how kind and loving and wonderful..." I couldn't help it anymore. I started crying. Tomorrow, my husband of one day would be taken away from me, taken away by all those horrible men - Tatara, Ageha, even the Red King - who wouldn't let him lead a peaceful life.

"Sshhhhh," he whispered, taking my face into his hands and gently kissing the tears away. "Maybe you're right and one day he will forgive me. When all this is over and we have the country we've been dreaming of."

He held me gently and rocked me until I started to doze off. Just on the edge of sleep, though, I heard him whisper, "Maybe he will forgive me. But by then it may be too late."

- by Rebecca